Fabulous Fried Calamari, Bronx to Billyburg

Louis Seafood, a Throgs Neck landmark that turns 60 this year, does fried calamari with an uncommonly light hand. No thick breading, no semolina, no cornmeal—just the barest dusting of flour. “This makes them very light, almost puffy,” observes Cheese Boy. “They might look unappealingly pale at first, but don’t be fooled. The taste is fantastic.”

In Brooklyn, there’s another first-rate version at Baci & Abbracci: fat rings and tentacles in ultrathin batter, perfectly cooked and served with lemons and a light pesto dip, noodles reports.